The No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers take on the No. 12 Illinois Fighting Illini in a Big Ten matchup on Tuesday, March 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on Peacock.
Purdue (26-3, 15-3 B1G) is currently projected to earn a No. 1 seed come March, and are the favorites to win the Big Ten Tournament and earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Led by Zach Edey, the Boilermakers rank third overall at KenPom and second in adjusted offensive efficiency. They score 84.7 points per game (7th in the nation) and shoot 49.2% from the field (11th in the nation).
Earlier this season, Purdue defeated Illinois by five points in West Lafayette. They now hit the road for the rematch with the second-ranked team in the Big Ten. While Edey was a rebounding machine in the two teams’ previous matchup, Illinois held him to just 10 points (when he averages 24 per game). Purdue will need to find a way to adjust around him if they hope to snag a win on the road.
Illinois (22-7, 13-5 B1G) is fresh off a win over Wisconsin and is currently projected to have a No. 4 seed come March. The Illini rank 12th at KenPom and third in adjusted offensive efficiency. However, their defensive ranking lies outside the top 100.
The Illini score 84.8 points per game (6th in the nation) and grab 41.5 rebounds per game (4th in the nation). Terrence Shannon Jr. leads the team with 22 points per game. In Illinois’ losses this season, they have struggled with turnovers — in their most recent loss, for example, they turned the ball over 18 times against Penn State. The Illini will need to focus on ball security in this matchup to have a shot at taking down Purdue.
Purdue vs. Illinois odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Illinois -1.5
Total: 163.5
Moneyline: Illinois -135, Purdue +114
Pick: Illinois -1.5
The Illini are one of very few teams in the country right now that score more points per game than Purdue, and if they can outscore the Boilermakers, their lack of defense won’t be too much of a factor. Illinois kept it close on the road against Edey and co. earlier this season, and were able to limit Edey. Purdue has had some close calls in recent road trips, and it comes to a head here in Illinois’ biggest game of the season.